This invention relates primarily to apparatus useful in combination with utility supplied tap water for discharging a water stream for massaging a user""s body.
Many different devices are known in the art which utilize a water flow to massage a user""s body, either by direct impact or by energy transfer through an intermediate membrane. In other devices, the water flow is used to vibrate or rotate a pad or brush which contacts the user""s body. Exemplary prior art is cited in said parent application and additionally is described in the following exemplary U.S. patents:
Still other devices for discharging water streams for massaging a user""s body are disclosed in Applicants"" following U.S. patents and the references cited therein:
Applicants"" aforelisted patents, whose disclosures are by reference incorporated herein, variously disclose both electric pump powered and tap water powered devices for discharging a hydromassage stream through a discharge orifice. Some of the disclosed devices are configured so that the discharge orifice travels along a defined or random path, driven along the path by energy derived from the discharged stream.
Applicant""s grandparent application Ser. No. 08/048,356, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,888, describes a hand held apparatus particularly configured to operate from supplied tap water (typically, xe2x89xa720 pounds per square inch (p.s.i.)) at a low flow rate (typically, xe2x89xa63.0 gallons per minute (g.p.m.)) to propel a discharge orifice along a travel path while discharging a water stream of sufficient intensity to impact a user""s body to provide a pleasing massage. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus is characterized by a handle housing and a head housing mounted for relative movement with respect to one another for operating an internal mode selector valve. The selector valve directs the supplied tap water to either a hydromassage outlet or a shower spray outlet. The stream discharged from the hydromassage outlet impacts (1) against the rear face of a removable flexible membrane whose front face is held against the user""s body, or (2) with the membrane removed, directly against the user""s body. The housing includes a protuberance oriented to be held in contact against the user""s body to provide a mechanical massage to supplement the hydromassage.
This application, as well as Applicant""s parent application Ser. No. 08/200,472, describe further preferred embodiments for discharging a water stream for massaging a user""s body. These embodiments preferably employ a membrane formed of flexible, limp material, e.g., terry cloth, mounted loosely, i.e., with slack, in front of the water stream discharge orifice. A water stream discharged from the orifice against the membrane rear face transfers a portion of its kinetic energy to the membrane front face for massaging the user""s body. As contrasted with a stream directly impacting the user""s body, the membrane has the effect of spreading, i.e., defocussing, the impact area to thus provide a softer more pleasing massage effect while minimizing the amount of unwanted splash.
A preferred hand held embodiment includes a housing comprised of a handle portion and a head portion. The hydromassage discharge orifice is mounted in the head portion for travel along a circular path propelled by a reactive force produced by the stream discharged therefrom. As the discharge orifice moves, it causes the stream to impact the rear face of the membrane tracing a circular path thereon. With the front face of the membrane held against the user""s body, the impact will be transferred through the membrane enabling the user to experience a very pleasing massage.
Embodiments in accordance with the invention are useful in conjunction with water tubs, e.g., bathtubs or spas, and shower stalls, having a source of tap water. They can be configured as hand held or wall mounted units and function to discharge a hydromassage stream either out of, or submerged in, a tub water pool. They are preferably dimensioned to be driven by a tap water supply operating at a low flow rate (typically, xe2x89xa720 lbs per square inch at xe2x89xa62.5 gallons per minute) and can incorporate either a travelling or non-travelling discharge orifice and be operable with or without air and/or water entrainment.
The membrane in accordance with the invention serves to minimize unwanted splash when the hand held unit is lifted out of the water, whether inadvertently or to massage, or when the wall mounted unit is above the tub water level. The membrane is formed of flexible, limp material and is mounted in front of the discharge orifice, attached along a boundary defined by a continuous line or multiple discrete points. Within the massage area enclosed by the boundary, the membrane is configured to exhibit looseness or slack, i.e., lacking in tension, not taut. As a consequence, a water stream discharged from the orifice against the rear face of the membrane is able to transfer a portion of its kinetic energy through the membrane to the membrane front face held against the user""s skin. The movement of the discharge orifice along its travel path acts to create a corresponding motion and pleasing massage effect against the user""s skin. The membrane material can either be water permeable or water impermeable. Permeability is preferred because it affords better skin lubrication. The membrane is preferably configured for mounting on the housing so that it can be removed if the user desires a xe2x80x9csharperxe2x80x9d feeling hydromassage. Removal also enables the membrane to be easily laundered.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, means are provided for preventing water accumulation against the rear face of the membrane sufficient to distend the membrane. Such water accumulation could place the membrane in tension and diminish energy transfer therethrough. In the case of a permeable membrane, the permeability of the membrane itself can be sufficient to prevent such water accumulation. In any event, however, it is preferable to provide drain openings behind the membrane to prevent such water accummulation.
In accordance with another feature of a preferred embodiment, the hand held unit also includes a continuous shower spray outlet and a pulsed shower spray outlet. A user operable selector valve directs a supply water flow to either the continuous or pulsed shower spray outlets or to the hydromassage discharge orifice. The shower spray outlets and discharge orifice are preferably oriented to discharge through different housing faces.